14

Sep

Family immortalises Silundika through art

premarin without a script. Khahliso Ncube
THE family of the late national liberation war hero George Silundika seeks to immortalise his legacy with a cultural festival now in its second year.

The TiBaKalanga (We are Kalanga) Festival was held at its traditional setting, the TG Silundika Cultural Centre in Gala Village in Bulilima East under the theme “Tihha Kobva Pasisila” meaning “great things start with small steps”.

“We started this project last year and it was a success then we told ourselves, why not repeat for the second time since we are getting a lot of support from people,” said Felix Silundika the first born son of George Silundika.

He added that the festival was to educate, entertain, and create opportunities for vendors and above all, uplift the Kalanga people, their culture and their language.

At the venue there were tents pitched for vendors to display their artefacts and entertainment groups such as Black Umfolosi, Destruction Girls, Lupane State University Drama Club, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic traditional dancers and many other local groups who were performing traditional Kalanga dances.

“The festival was more of an edutainment ceremony as we were educating people about our culture and at the same time entertaining them. We made sure that everyone who had something to sell was provided with space to display their artefacts since promoting the vendors was part of our aim,” said the founder and project manager of TiBaKalanga Festival, Felix.

The festival was launched in 2016 during an international cultural marketing workshop in Plumtree which was facilitated by a world renowned American anthropologist Professor Gordon Bronitsky.

The workshop was held in partnership with Lupane State University’s Language Department.

Tarcisius Marlan George Silundika was born in March 1929 in Plumtree, Bulilimamangwe District. His father was a businessman. He received his primary education at Empandeni Mission School and then went to St Francis College, Marian Hill, Natal in 1945.

Cde Silundika “TG” as he was popularly known in political circles died when he suffered a stroke while working in his ministerial office.

Cde Silundika was Minister of Roads, Road Traffic, Post and Telecommunications and a member of Zapu’s Central Committee at the time of death on April 9, 1981. He was buried at the National Heroes Acre.